The Guy who Gets the Donuts
by hyperpsychomaniac
Summary: Lego City Undercover. When Chase McCain gets stuck with Frank Honey as his partner, he tries to be nice. But when the younger officer's incompetence puts them in danger Chase tells him he's a bad cop. Frank decides to prove to his hero he isn't useless.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** So I haven't written anything for Lego before, nor do I know how many people actually read these. I am writing this purely for my own entertainment, but thought I'd still post the first chapter here and see if anyone else wanted to read it. If you do read it and like it, please leave me a review. I'll try to post the rest, but I need to know if people are reading it and want to see more! Thanks guys, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chase McCain stood in the Chief's office of the Lego City Police Department, jaw hanging open. "Chief, you have got to be kidding me. You want me to work with… Frank?!"

"Yeah, Chief. Are you sure you're not making a joke? Cause, no offense, you're not very good at those. But if you really want me to work with Chase that would be amazing!" Frank's voice rose half an octave, as well as several decibels in volume.

Chase groaned, and rubbed at his ear.

"No, Frank. I'm not making a joke. You'll know when I'm making a joke," said the Chief.

"If you got one of those little clown horns and honked that every time you did then everyone would know…"

"Frank!"

"Seriously, Chief. Are you sure this is a good idea?" said Chase, reigning in the urge to raise his voice. "I mean, it's Frank, he's only good for…"

Frank beamed up at Chase, practically bouncing on his heels.

"Um, its field work. His talents lie… er… elsewhere?" Like shredding documents. Mostly because the entire point of that exercise was to destroy something. And Frank had lost three neck ties in that endeavour thus far.

Frank grabbed Chase's sleeve and yanked it. "But, Chase. I can learn stuff from you. You're the best. If I hang out with you I can learn how to take down criminals, and drive a police car."

"You don't know how to drive a police car? How did you pass training?"

"I mean, without breaking the car," Frank lowered his voice. "That makes the Chief kind of mad."

"Of course it makes me mad!" The Chief stood up and slammed a fist on his desk. "The only reason I'm doing this is because you two idiots caused a huge mess downtown. And yes, he can't drive to save his life, so you can teach him that too!"

"The mess? That was Frank! And it was because you sent him for donuts."

Frank rubbed at the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that."

The Chief squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Gawd, why can't I just fire you?"

Frank grinned. "Because you know I'm a good cop, and I think you secretly like me."

"Must be very secretly, because I don't even know about it." The Chief lowered himself back into his chair. It wasn't like he ever stayed in the fully upright position for long.

It certainly wasn't any favour on the Chief's part that kept Frank in a job. Rather, it was Frank's parents. They were rich, and donated a fair bit of money to the police force. Which was an odd thing to 'donate' to. Unless your son was working there, and ran the risk of getting himself fired at least twice a week. They didn't interfere a great deal that Chase could tell, but he was certain those donations were congruent on any breakages caused by Frank being largely overlooked. And that explained why the Chief tried to find other ways to punish Frank. What Chase couldn't understand was why he was being dragged into this.

"Chief, he caused a mess because he went outside. And you want to send him outside again?"

"But you'll be looking after him, won't you? And you were supposed to go with him to get those donuts in the first place. You had to have a damned coffee break."

Chase winced. He hadn't wanted to take out Frank at all, that was true, hence why he'd disappeared. He'd already reached the five-minute limit of interaction with Frank he could handle for that day. Not to mention his skills were wasted going out for donuts. He frowned. "Hey, wait, my coffee breaks? All you do up here is eat donuts and sleep!"

"Point is, I don't take coffee breaks."

"Probably cause then you'd be too hyped up to take a nap…" Chase muttered. "This is hardly a punishment, I mean, look at him!" He gestured at Frank.

Frank's grin faltered for barely an instant. "Punishment? Chase, this is going to be awesome."

"Frank," said the Chief. "Go down and see Officer Phillips. Get yourself fitted with a vest and something a bit more appropriate… don't want you getting that tie stuck in a street cleaner, now do we?"

If Frank had been beaming before, now he looked like Christmas had come early. He certainly wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to visit Ellie. He practically worshipped her, and she seemed the only person with the patience to handle him. "Yes, sir!" Frank saluted so enthusiastically, he was rubbing his forehead as he rushed out of the office.

"What the hell are you playing at?" Chase hissed once Frank was gone.

The Chief folded his arms. "Nothing, McCain. And this doesn't leave this office, but you are actually pretty good at your job. You might be able to teach Honey a few things. You know he looks up to you."

"I… wha… was that a complement?"

"Don't get excited yet. Honey is a liability. You know that."

"So don't put him out on the streets! He'll hurt himself, or someone else."

"Exactly. So, you've got two choices: you can use that legendary McCain whatever-metal- that makes you so special, and teach Frank Honey to be a semi-functional cop. Or get rid of him entirely."

"Wait, what?" Chase squeaked.

"Oh, settle down. Not like that! He's got over-protective parents. Why do you think he still has a job here?"

"I know why he still has a job here. And it's nothing to do with protectiveness, it's the money. They slipping you a bit extra too?"

"No! His parents give us a nice donation because they care about their son, despite his obvious issues, and want him to be happy."

"Bet it makes you happy too," Chase grumbled, folding his arms. He was done curbing his comments.

"And, if Frank goes out there and gets himself in some serious trouble; if he walks himself into a shootout or tries to arrest some criminal, or steps out of his police car before it stops, his parents might see how dangerous this kind of job is for someone like their son. Those same loving parents might actually pay us to fire him."

"You want him to get hurt?"

"Or course not. Why do you think I sent him downstairs to get a vest? Of course, if he learns something, he's going to bug everyone a whole lot less, break a whole lot less, and might become a passable cop. Either option would be fine with me. Of course, whichever one you actually manage to make work, that's on you, McCain."

"Thanks a lot."

"Oh stop pouting. If you do a good job, I might consider putting you in charge of training the police dogs. I expect they'd be a walk in the park compared to Frank."

* * *

Chase found Frank in the basement, at Ellie's station. He was in front of a full-length mirror, trying on a bullet-proof vest. "So," Frank said, whirling around. "How do I.."

"Frank, your fly!" said Chase. "How'd you… you haven't even changed your pants."

"Oh, whoops!" Frank turned around and put himself back together.

"Yeah, he got a bit excited and almost started stripping off before I told him all he needed was a shirt and the bullet proof vest," Ellie said, stifling a giggle.

"Jeesh, I suppose at least he knows how to dress himself. Sorry about that…" Chase added, feeling the sudden urge to apologise for Frank. Making Ellie uncomfortable would be the last thing Frank would intentionally do, but doing so would also go completely over his head.

Ellie shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Er… good to know…"

"Listen, Chase, keep an eye on him. But don't be too hard on him either."

"Come on. Why would I…"

"You're already all tense and irritated. I can tell."

Chase grunted. It wasn't just the thought of having to hang out with Frank for more than ten minutes that irritated him. His conversation with the Chief had him rattled. "The Chief is being a jerk. And not just because he's making me babysit Frank. He wants me to teach him, and if I can't, he… he's just mad he can't fire him…"

"Because of his parents?"

"Um, yeah… how'd you know?"

"People tell me things, sweetheart. But Frank isn't as daft as he seems. Just be patient with him. He gets stuff right if you give him a chance. And he does look up to you. He's going to be trying his best to impress you, so if you encourage him instead of making jokes at his expense, he might surprise you."

"I don't…"

"You do."

Chase sighed. "Okay, I'll try. Thanks, Ellie."

Frank whirled around and spread his arms wide. "How do I look?" He'd replaced his dress jacket, shirt and tie, with a blue police shirt and bullet-proof vest. The vest did bulk him out a bit, and Frank was aware of it. He put his hands on his hips, and thrust out his chest.

Despite his mood, Chase had to supress a chuckle. "Speaking of trying to impress," he said in a low voice.

"Hang on, sugar. Let me show you how to do up those buckles properly." Ellie untwisted one of Franks straps on the vest, then redid it and tightened it.

Frank grinned at Chase. Whether it was his upcoming adventure, or simply Ellie's proximity that excited him was hard to tell.

Chase drew a deep breath, and squared his shoulders. "Okay, Chase. You saved Lego City from a plummeting rocket. You can handle Frank Honey."


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, at least we didn't set it on fire."

Chase gripped the steering wheel of the police cruiser far tighter than he needed to. "We did set it on fire, Frank. That's why the fire department was there. That's why they had to use a giant hose, to put out the fire, that we set."

"Well, yeah." Frank rubbed at the back of his head. "Are you still wet?"

"Yes, Frank. I'm still wet."

Chase had the heater notched up. He was driving, because there was no way he was letting Frank drive after the stunt he'd pulled. It had simply been directing traffic at a broken set of traffic lights. Boring as heck, but something not even Frank Honey should've been able to stuff up.

It had taken less than fifteen minutes for Frank to cause a four-car pile-up. According to Frank, that chicken really had needed to cross the street.

"Well, yeah, you got it up all nice and toasty, that's how I know. Not that I mind." Frank snuggled back into his seat.

"And you can't tell your left from your right. That's how I should've known not to put you on traffic duty."

Frank held up his hands and inspected them. "They look exactly the same. How am I supposed to tell them apart? I mean, look…" He waved a hand in front of Chase's face.

"Frank, stop it, I'm driving. Sorry!" Chase yelled out the window at an unfortunate pedestrian who had to dive for the safety of the sidewalk.

"I could drive."

Chase snorted. "Define driving."

"The Chief said you should teach me."

"The Chief says a lot of things. I try not to take him on too much. You know, unless he threatens to fire me. Something you would know nothing about."

"The Chief wouldn't fire you, you're the best."

"Well, apparently, Lego City police department doesn't use who is and isn't 'the best' as criteria for who they want to fire."

Frank plucked at a buckle on his bullet proof vest. "What do you mean?"

Chase sighed. If his explanation got through Frank's thick skull, it would be like kicking a puppy. An annoying puppy. "Nothing. Never mind."

Frank was quiet for a moment. Without his usual incessant chatter, the moment hung. "Um, Chase?" Frank eventually said, "I know the Chief's mad at me. But you think I do a good job, right? He just gets stressed and… cars do catch fire really easily…"

Chase squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, and Ellie's words came back to him. He just had to give Frank a chance, not take it out on him just because he was irritated. "Yeah, Frank. You're doing okay. Just try and listen to me; I've been doing this longer than you."

Frank grinned. "I always listen to you, Chase. And thanks, if you think I'm doing okay it must be true."

"Don't hug me I'm driving!" Something about the younger man's excitement, so easily aroused with so few words of praise, brought a faint smile to Chase lips. Maybe encouragement was the way to go. He could do this. Maybe the Chief would calm down, and realise this was a silly idea. Put Frank on something where he couldn't do too much damage. Besides, it had been quiet in Lego City recently. If all they had to do was traffic duty, then Frank couldn't possibly cause that much trouble.

The radio in the cruiser buzzed, and Ellie's voice crackled through. "Chase, Frank, we've got a robbery in progress at the Lego City Bank."

Chase groaned. "You're not serious?"

"Woo! Robbery!" said Frank, throwing his hands in the air.

Chase glared across the vehicle at his partner. "Frank, have you ever been to a robbery?"

"Um, well there was that one at the pet store, when they had all their turtles stolen. But then it turned out the turtles just ran away. Those things can move really fast when they want to."

"They're robbing a bank. You realise when that happens, they're after more than just… turtles. It could be dangerous. Are you sure… Ellie… I don't think this is a job for… us…"

"Chase, you're the closest unit. And yeah, sounds like it could be dangerous. There've been shots fired."

Chase swallowed.

"Does that mean we get to use our guns?" Frank asked.

Chase gritted his teeth. "Who even issued you with a weapon?"

"That would've been me," said Ellie. "Like it or not, you two are the closest cops. And civilians are in danger if those robbers have weapons. I'm sending in backup, but they'll be about ten minutes behind you. So be careful."

"Yeah, Ellie, we will. Thanks." Chase flicked on the vehicle's sirens and tapped the handbrake, sending the cruiser into a 180-degree spin, and then floored it towards the Lego City Bank.

Frank grinned ear to ear. "That was awesome! You've got to show me how to do that."

"No, I don't!" Chase winced. "Frank, you know this is dangerous, right? So just… maybe you should just stay in the car and…"

"What? But I'm your backup."

Some backup! But the last thing Chase wanted was for Frank to get hurt because he was… Frank. "I need someone out here to… er… if the robbers try to escape, you can stop them."

Frank frowned. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I am."

Chase braked to a halt outside the bank. The alarms were wailing. He jumped out of the car, and un-holstered his gun. It wasn't often the cops had to use them in Lego City. But if he was the only cop with a full complement of brain cells on this, he might need it.

The passenger door slammed.

"Frank, I told you to stay in the car!"

"I can't see anything from in there."

"Argh," Chase put a hand to his forehead. "Get back in the… look, get in the driver's side, if we need to go after them…"

Frank sighed, but did as he was told. He left the driver's door open, but Chase wasn't going to argue with him further.

The doors to the bank burst open. Two men, wearing black and balaclavas, spilled out. "Cops!" one of them shouted. He raised the muzzle of a rather sizable gun.

"Shoot," Chase threw himself behind the driver's side door. The plink plink bullets on the armoured car door reached him, then stopped.

"Stop shooting at the fuzz and let's get out of here!" Tyres squealed, and a black van pelted past them.

"I can't," said Frank, "they're driving away."

"I didn't mean…"

"Hang on." Frank grabbed Chase by the collar and hauled him back into the police car.

Chase grunted as he landed in Frank's lap. "What are you…"

The police car's tyres screeched, and they pulled out. The force of the turn slung Chase back across into the passenger seat. "Ow!" Chase rubbed at his head where he'd hit the window. "Frank, what are you doing?"

"They're getting away!" Frank leaned over the steering wheel, gripping it white-knuckled. The vehicle's engine screamed.

"Give them a bit of space; they've got guns…" Chase righted himself and then activated the radio. "Ellie? How far away is backup? We're pursuing the getaway vehicle."

"Still five minutes…"

Chase glanced up. Frank was right up in the black vans bumper. "Frank! I said back off."

"Cars are faster than vans, Chase. Everyone knows that. I can catch them." Frank grinned like a mad man. He stomped on the gas, the police car surged forward, and bumped the rear end of the van.

The van's back door popped open, and one of the robbers leaned out. The muzzle of his gun flashed three times. The police car's windshield shattered, and Chase felt something slam into his shoulder and knock the air clean out of him.

The police car skidded up onto the sidewalk, and jerked to a halt.

"Aw, man!" Frank slapped the steering wheel, then folded his arms and huffed. "We nearly had them!"

"You…" Chase struggled to get a breath into his lungs. "Idiot."

"I'm sorry. The glass shattering scared me and I lost control."

"You got me… shot."

"Oh!" Frank gasped and grabbed at Chase's sleeve. "Are you okay? I'll.."

"Get off of me." Chase gave Frank a good shove. He was catching his breath, and the shock of the moment was wearing off. He glanced down at his chest. There was a hole in his bullet proof vest, over his left shoulder, but the bullet hadn't fully penetrated. Chase groaned and sunk back into his seat. "Why does this still hurt so much?"

"It's okay, Chase. I'll call an ambulance. Um, do you remember the number?"

"You don't need the number; you can use the radio. How do you not know the number? And I don't need an ambulance." Chase's fists tensed up, and he shook his head, trying to dispel his building aggravation. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I think the other bullets missed us entirely."

"Well, yippee for you. Next time why don't you get yourself shot?

"Hey, that's not very nice."

"No. It's not." Chase hauled himself out of the car with a grunt of effort. He needed air. And to not be anywhere near Frank.

"Come on, Chase. Don't be like that." Frank got out and walked around to Chase's side of the car.

"Like what? Scared for my life?" said Chase, rounding on the younger officer. "I told you to hold back."

"They were getting away…"

"And they shot at us. They shot me!" Chase tugged at his vest, then grimaced. "Ow."

"Well you didn't tell me I wasn't supposed to…"

"I shouldn't need to. It's basic training stuff. Did you forget or did you just automatically get yourself a pass? It's common sense!"

Frank folded his arms and his eyes narrowed. "You chase people too. You were going to go into that bank, and you weren't going to let me come with you!"

"That was different! You would've made it worse. And it was me going in, I've been doing this a lot longer than you."

"Just because you went to the moon, and saved all of Lego City, that doesn't mean you're the only one who can catch criminals."

"It's not about that. I could've been killed. Look…" Chase tugged at his vest again. "A few inches more and I'd…" He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea washed over him. Danger? Fine. If he had to do something dangerous, and got shot, that was his job. But he shouldn't have to put up with stupidity too.

Frank tugged at his vest, fingering his police badge. "But you said I was doing okay."

"I was just trying to be nice. But damn it, Frank. You're a danger to yourself and everyone else."

"I'm not a bad cop… the Chief…"

"The only reason the Chief keeps you on is because of your parents! I just hope they're rich enough to cover the cost when you finally get someone killed!"

Frank swallowed hard, and looked away.

Chase sighed, and sagged back against the police car. There was no point yelling at Frank anymore; he just wouldn't get it.

After a moment, Frank finally spoke. "You don't think I know that?"

Chase rubbed at his forehead. "Know what, Frank?" he said, voice tired now.

"That the only reason I still have a job is because of my parents. I told them I wanted a real job, that I was too old for them to just give me everything. But they still try and interfere."

Chase blinked. "I didn't think you would've realised…"

"I'm not stupid, Chase!"

He shouldn't have said it. But it was too late to take it back now. "Look, I'm sure it's just because they care about you."

"No, it's because they think I can't do this. And so do you. Chase, you're the best cop in this entire city. If anyone could show me how it's done, it's you. And I… I know I'm never going to be as good as you. But I'm trying really hard." Frank sniffed. "And yeah, I just let my parents keep paying off the Chief, or whoever, because if I didn't I wouldn't have a job. So sorry if I let them just so I can have half a chance to prove myself! I love being a cop; I don't want to lose my job, I…" Frank choked off and buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Chase swallowed. He hadn't meant to hurt Frank's feelings. Just… what? Let him know how bad he'd screwed up? Suddenly, with the fear of the moment draining away, that didn't seem so important anymore. He reached out and patted Frank's shoulder. "Aw, Frank. I'm sorry. You don't need to prove anything. Look, I'll talk to the Chief. Maybe we can get him to stop this whole silly thing and get you back in the office where you can't…"

Frank swiped Chase's hand from his shoulder. "You don't think I can do anything useful, do you? Look, I'm sorry I got you shot. But I can to do this, and I'm going to prove it to you." He stomped towards the police car, swiping tears angrily from his cheeks.

"Frank, wait."

"No, Chase. I'm done just being the guy that gets the donuts." Frank slammed the car door, then tore off with a screech of tyres.

Chase groaned. "Great. Just great."

The wail of sirens filled the air, and a police vehicls screeched onto the scene. Ellie all but tumbled out, and rushed over. "What happened? Where're the robbers? Where's Frank?"

"We lost them. What're you doing here?"

"I'm your backup. You don't think I was just going to sit there and, actually, everyone was getting coffee, and I was, um worried about Frank." Ellie rubbed at the back of her head self-consciously, then stopped as she caught Chase tugging at his vest. "You're hurt. Are you okay?"

"I've only got about 80% movement in my left arm, but yeah, I'm okay. Frank is too, or he was. He took off. I…" Chase sighed, and his shoulders sagged. "I got mad; I yelled at him. And I think I hurt his feelings."

"Oh, Chase…"

"I didn't mean to."

"So, where is he?"

"I don't know. He took the police car." Chase sighed. "I'm sorry, Ellie. I was trying to help him. But he was being… Frank. He got too close to the van, and I got shot in the vest… It scared the heck out of me and I kind of just let loose."

"It's not me you need to apologise to, sugar."

"Yeah, I know. We'd better find him before he gets himself into trouble. And then I'll figure out some way to make it up to him."

"I can track his police car, come on."

Ellie led Chase back to her police cruiser. She fiddled with the screen attached to the console.

"You can track our police vehicles? Guess we should stop using them for extended coffee runs."

"Yeah, they've got a transponder fitted. There he is." Ellie activated the radio. "Frank? This is Ellie. You okay, hun?"

The radio crackled with static for a moment. "Yeah, I'm fine," Frank responded, his voice thicker than usual. "I'm just trying to catch these robbers."

"You need to wait for backup, Chase and I…"

"Chase is just being a jerk. I can do this, Ellie."

"Frank, listen, I didn't mean to upset you," said Chase. "We're going to follow you."

"No, you're not. I said I was going to show you I can be a good cop. You don't need to babysit me."

Chase gritted his teeth. "It's not babysitting, it's called being your partner. And you are acting like a kid. We're tracking your car anyway, so it doesn't really matter whether you want our help or not, we're going to…"

The radio let out a crackle and a pop, and then all was static.

Chase thumped the console. "Frank? Frank! Don't hang up on me."

"It's not a phone, Chase," said Ellie. "It's…" She stared at the screen. "Good lord, I think he disabled the transponder."

"Frank? Disabled the transponder? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. One thing Frank can do is break things."

Chase groaned and sagged back into his seat. "They had guns. They shot at us, and they sure as heck weren't aiming for the tyres. Ellie, if he finds those robbers and he's all by himself…"

"I know. Let's head for the last location of his car."

* * *

 **A/n:** Please review! :D


	3. Chapter 3

"Darn it!" Frank winced and shook his hand. The radio sparked and fizzled. But that was generally what technology did when you put your fist clean through it. Frank didn't need Ellie to tell him that. The Chief wouldn't be happy. But then his parents could probably pay for the radio.

A lump rose in his throat, and Frank fought it down as his vision blurred. He loved his parents to bits. But they always had to interfere, like they didn't think he was capable of anything. Sure, there was some things he couldn't do. He would never be as awesome a cop as Chase McCain, and he couldn't make sense of super-complex police issue technology like Ellie could. But at least he could…

The thought rattled around in his brain for a moment, unfinished. Frank's shoulders sagged. "What am I even good at? Buying donuts? Even that's confusing; what the heck is gluten anyway?" He pulled up at the side of the road, and the vehicle's rim crunched against the curbing. His enthusiasm for hunting the robbers was waning, fast being replaced by a heavy weight on his chest. Frank was sure he was going to start crying again.

He gripped the steering wheel. "Come on, Frank. You're a cop; cops don't cry. Even if they're…" He choked and rubbed a hand across his eyes. When he looked up again, a fuzzy black blur caught his eye, nestled down the narrow alleyway beside him. Frank gasped. "The van!" He gulped and ducked down.

"Open the door, you idiot."

"It's stuck. Do you have any idea the last time this has been used?"

Frank cautiously peeped out the window. The van idled in front of a slowly opening roller door, waiting for the metal obstruction to grind out of the way. One robber, waiting beside the van, glanced around furtively.

Frank gasped, and pulled off the handbrake. The police vehicle rolled back, the wall beside him blocking him from the robbers' view. "Wait, wait, brakes… oh yeah…" Frank rolled another few meters before he remembered to stop he should put the handbrake back where it had come from. A rubbish bin placed too close to the curbing let out a crunch as the vehicles rear bumper punched into it. "Oops, that should buff out."

Frank slipped out of the car, then stuck his head cautiously into the alleyway. The robbers were gone. But they'd only be opening that garage if they intended to park inside it. "See, Chase. It'd take a real cop to make that connection."

Frank reached back in the car for the radio. "Oh. Right." He paused for a moment, chewing his lip. "Well, Chase was going to go in by himself. I can too." Still, his usual enthusiasm for any endeavour was lacking, and his voice wavered. He pulled out his gun, and checked he'd remembered to put in the ammo, just like Ellie had taught him to, before re-holstering it.

Ellie had spent hours with him on the shooting range, showing him how to use the gun properly. And being very explicit about what he shouldn't do with it. Her careful attention had been enough to convince him that what she was showing him was very important. And even though it was frustrating trying to get all those bullets in the targets, and to not wave the gun around, even when it was empty, Frank hadn't wanted to disappoint her.

If he had to use it, he'd know how. But it wouldn't come to that. "Those robbers are going to see a real cop has got them. I'll tell them they're under arrest. I just have to be as confident as Chase."

A grin tugged at Frank's lips. He'd show Chase, and the Chief, and even Ellie. He wouldn't need to worry about whether his parents donated to the police force or not. Because it'd be him finally proving himself as a cop that kept his job.

"And Chase is going to eat his words. And they're not going to taste good, Chase! They'll be all… salty."

Frank crept up to the roller door. A regular sized door was beside it. He carefully tried the knob. It was unlocked. Quietly, he eased it open, and slipped into the garage space. The big black van was there, the rear doors open, mounds of cash and gold glittering inside.

Frank rubbed his hands together. "Stupid robbers. Wait until they get back and see all their cash and their van gone." Driving into the Lego City Police Department with the stolen van – that's what he'd do. No one would be able to say he was a bad cop then.

"Oh, we haven't gone anywhere."

Frank whirled around at the voice. Just in time to connect with the fist that smashed him in the jaw and threw him to the concrete floor.

* * *

Ellie pulled up at the side of the road. "He should be somewhere around here. At least he was ten minutes ago."

"How accurate is... oh…" Chase spotted Frank's police cruiser, parked with one wheel up on the curb. It didn't look damaged, apart from the windscreen. At least, not what one would classify as damaged when Frank had been driving. Although, there did look like there was a pretty fresh scrape on the rear bumper. "Well done, Frank. If he was trying to hide, he's not very good at it." Chase got out of their car, and Ellie followed. Frank was nowhere to be seen.

"I hope he hasn't tried to find those robbers himself," said Ellie.

"Come on, like Frank would've found…"

A crash sounded in the alleyway, and Ellie and Chase ducked down beside Frank's cruiser.

"This is stupid, why waste a perfectly good gun?" One of the robbers, now minus his black balaclava, had just tossed something into a nearby dumpster.

"Yeah, why is he throwing away a perfectly good gun?" Chase muttered.

"If they've got Frank, they might not want to keep a cop's gun. Unless it's theirs and they've used it to…" Ellie trailed off and swallowed.

Chase's guts tightened. They hadn't shot Frank; they couldn't have. He'd never forgive himself. He gave Ellie's shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'm sure he's fine, he's just gone and got himself in a bit deeper than he should've. I'll get him out." He put a hand to the gun at his side, and stood up.

Ellie grabbed his arm. "I'm not going to let Frank get hurt either. I…" she drew in a breath. "If we both run in there and we get caught we'll be stuck just like Frank. I'll call for backup. And god help them if I get in there and find they've hurt him." Her grip tightened on Chase's arm.

"I don't doubt it. But you won't have to; I'll get him out."

"Thanks, Chase. Just be careful. I'll come after you if you get in trouble. Backup or not."

"Deal."

Chase moved cautiously up on the alleyway. There was a single, rusted roller door at the end. If the robbers were here, that's where the van would be. A doorway next to the roller door was swinging open.

Chase checked the dumpster first. The gun at the bottom was most definitely police issue. He fished it out, shoved it in the back of his belt, and then moved on the open doorway.

"I still say we put him down," said a voice from inside.

"Kill a cop? Are you insane? Let's just bail, he's still unconscious. Besides, I feel like I recognise him from somewhere. We shouldn't shoot someone who might be important, otherwise the cops will be all over us."

Chase let out a pent out breath. They hadn't shot Frank. Not yet anyway. He knelt beside the doorway, poked his gun inside, and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could see the two robbers, standing in front of a chair. Frank was tied to it, his head sagging down. "Hang in there, Frank." Chase slipped through the door, and ducked down beside a stack of oil barrels.

* * *

Frank woke to a blinding headache and blurry vision. "Wow. That must've been one heck of a party. Did I invite Horse?" He tried to rub at his head, but his arms were stuck behind his back. "Seriously, Horse? This isn't funny!"

"What the heck is he on about?"

"Either you hit him too hard, or he's a couple of bricks short."

Frank's vision finally cleared. And his heart sank. This was no epic party hangover. He'd gone in after those robbers. He yanked at his arms again. He couldn't move them; they were tied behind his back. "Hey, let me go!"

The two robbers stood in front of him. One was bearded and built like a tank. The other, a wiry weasel of a man with scraggily blonde hair. The weasely guy leaned in and shook Frank. "Where are your buddies, huh cop? Do they know we're here? Who's with you?"

"No one's nowhere. I'm by myself."

"He's lying, Jack," said the weasely guy.

"Why would I be lying?" said Frank, a growl creeping into his voice. "Don't you think I'm a good enough cop to take down a bunch of robbers by myself?"

"Come on," said Jack, "Cops always have backup. Especially a wimpy little one like you."

"I don't have backup. I came in here all by myself and…" Frank trailed off and hung his head. If Chase had done something like this, he wouldn't have been silly enough to get caught.

"I think he's telling the truth," said Jack, stroking his beard. "So what do we do with him, Dave?"

"Put him down," said Dave, drawing a handgun from the front of his pants.

"I'm not shooting a cop!"

"Well, I'll do it then."

"You don't have the guts."

Frank tried to stir up the energy to fight his way free. What would Chase do? Movement in the corner of the garage, near a pile of oil barrels, caught his eye.

Chase! He was crouched there, in the darkness, with his gun. He caught Frank's eye, and then put a finger to his lips.

Frank's eyes narrowed. "I can get out of this by myself, Chase!"

"Wait, what?" said Dave. He whirled around. The gun in his hand let out a crack.

Chase grunted and dropped to his knees.

Frank's guts tightened. "Chase!"

Jack slapped Dave's gun hand. "Idiot!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist," grumbled Dave, rubbing at his hand. "He's wearing a vest."

Jack swiped the handcuffs from Chase's belt and locked them onto Chase's wrists before he could recover. Then he hauled him to his feet by the shoulders of his vest.

"Ow, careful!" Chase winced. He struggled against Jack, but he didn't have his breath back yet. The larger man threw him roughly into the chair next to Frank, and secured him with cable ties.

Chase coughed. "Twice in one day," he said hoarsely. "Are you serious? That hurts even more the second time around."

He'd gotten Chase shot. Twice. Tears welled up in Frank's eyes again. "Chase, I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Frank, it's okay. This isn't your fault."

"Jeeze, what a sissy," said Dave. "No wonder you needed Chase McCain to come rescue you."

"Hey!" said Chase. "Says one of the guys who needs to tie us to a chair. Why don't you let us loose, then see how big…"

Dave stepped forward and slapped the butt of his gun across Chase's face. "Shut up!"

Chase bit back a cry, but his eyes squeezed shut and he cringed away from the blow.

Dave pushed the muzzle of the gun against Chase's forehead.

"Dave…" Jack growled.

"This is Chase McCain, genius. We let him live, and he's gonna have us in jail."

"Oh for crying out… fine! You want to shoot him? It's your funeral."

"Wait!" said Frank. "Don't..."

Dave pressed the muzzle harder against Chase's skull. "Give me one good reason."

Chase whimpered faintly and squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

Frank's guts were in knots. Chase was going to die, and it was all his fault. "Because… because…" His shoulders sagged. "Because my name is Frank Honey. My parents… they own the Honey apartments."

"What the heck are you on about?" Dave frowned.

"Idiot," said Jack. He pushed Dave's gun away from Chase. "I know where I recognise this little wimp from." He grinned. "Go on."

"They're really, really rich, alright? If you want, I'll give you their phone number. If you tell them you have me, I'm sure they'll pay you to let me go. But I'll only cooperate if you stop trying to hurt Chase."

"Wait, why do we care you're a little rich brat?" said Dave.

"Because we can ransom him." Jack grinned, and then snatched Dave's gun.

"Hey!"

"Let him keep his buddy alive. He won't cause any trouble. But we need to move our location. Other cops might know they're here."

Chase was staring at him. Frank felt tears well in his eyes again, and he looked away. Once again, his parents were bailing him out. He was sick of it. But he'd had no choice. He'd had to stop them shooting Chase, even if it meant all he'd proven was how he still needed his Mom and Dad to do everything for him. No wonder Chase thought he was a useless cop. And maybe Chase was right. Maybe he was too stupid to do this job.

Frank hung his head, knowing it wouldn't stop Chase seeing the tears that had started to slide down his cheeks. He was too frustrated with himself to care.


	4. Chapter 4

The two robbers dragged Chase and Frank, still tied to their chairs, into the back of the van, then secured them to railings that ran along its interior length, one on either side. They took their guns, removed their bullet proof vests, and donned them themselves.

By the time they'd finished, Chase had only just got his hammering heart under control, and pulled himself together enough to start thinking straight. He'd just had a gun pointed at his head! His mind was still struggling with the concept that it hadn't killed him.

Miraculously, he had Frank to thank for that. Where had that stroke of genius surfaced from? Looked like Ellie had been right. He should've been more patient with Frank, and they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. At least now he had time to figure out how to get them loose, or for Ellie to call in backup. Chase looked across the van at Frank, trying to catch his eye.

Frank had his head down, and was doing his best not to look at anybody. The younger officer was uncharacteristically quiet; the only sound he made was an occasional, faint hiccup. When Frank cried, he was usually loud, it was short and he'd be back to his usual chipper self within minutes. But now the only way Chase could tell he was still in tears was the faint tremble in his shoulders.

"Frank, are you okay? We're going to get out of this, don't you worry." He would've told Frank that Ellie was out there, somewhere. Waiting to bust them out. But he didn't want the two robbers to overhear. That would be enough to cheer Frank up – he thought Ellie could do anything.

Frank sniffed. "No thanks to me."

"What are you talking about? You saved my life."

"No, my parents did. All I did was get you shot."

"That's not your fault. These idiots shot me, not you."

"And I shouldn't have tried to do this myself. I'm not smart enough…" Frank still wouldn't look at him.

Chase had the sudden urge to put an arm around Frank's shoulders, and being physically incapable of doing so only made the feeling stronger. "Frank, you are, it's just the way it works – you got a more experienced officer with you, he's supposed to show you the ropes, and…" Chase sighed, and his shoulders sagged. "He's not supposed to be a jerk, and not let you help at all. You're supposed to learn, that means you have to make mistakes."

"But not as many as me though, right?"

Chase winced. How had he screwed this up so bad? "That's not what I'm trying to say. It's me, I should have…"

"Will you stop with the sappy deep and meaningful? Jeesh. Now give us your parents' number, promise is a promise." Dave made his way into the back of the van, putting a hand to the wall as the vehicle lurched into movement.

Frank shook his head, flicking away a stray tears. "Well, I don't know if off the top of my head."

Dave raised a tensed fist. "You little…"

"Dave! Behave yourself! That's our meal ticket!" Jack shouted from the front of the van.

"Well I put their numbers in my phone, don't you? There's even a special button because sometimes I forget how to get into the numbers and…"

"Well where's your phone?!" Dave demanded. He grabbed Frank by the collar. "You might be our meal ticket, but your parents are still going to pay if I have to beat a straight answer out of you."

"Hey, pick on someone your own size. Like my grandma's Chihuahua," said Chase.

Dave let go of Frank, whirled around and slammed a fist into Chase's stomach.

"Nailed it…" Chase coughed. He'd screwed up treating Frank like a real cop, the least he could do was take a couple hits for him. Dave might've been a shorty but that didn't mean he was weak; Chase knew that was going to hurt. But he wasn't going to let him bully Frank.

Frank jerked against his bonds. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!"

"Only if you cooperated."

"Not like you could in a fair fight," Chase said hoarsely.

Dave grabbed Chase by the collar and leaned in close. Something cold pressed against Chase's side; Dave had a knife. "I don't care what was promised," Dave said, voice low. "You're worth nothing. Give me half a chance and I will gut you like a fish. So, keep that bravado in check."

The gun to his head had scared him enough; Chase wasn't going to let Dave intimidate him a second time around. "You've really got to stop poking things into me," he said levelly.

"It's in my pocket," said Frank.

"What?" Dave said, turning back around. He flicked his knife closed.

"My phone."

Dave rolled his eyes, then tugged at Frank's pants pocket. The van lurched. "Jack, learn to drive!"

"It's the cops! They're chasing us!"

Dave cursed, then kicked open the rear doors. A police cruiser was hot on their tail. Ellie gripped the steering wheel, eyes narrowed, completely focused on the van.

"It's just some girl cop." Dave pulled out his gun, and popped off a few shots.

The cruiser swung heavily to the side, then disappeared from view.

Chase gritted his teeth.

"Ellie!" said Frank, jerking against his handcuffs.

"Told you she wasn't a threat; she ran away…"

The van rocked as something slammed into its side, the rear wheels briefly losing traction.

Chase winced as the impact jarred his arms in their sockets, but couldn't stop a grin creeping onto his face. "Nice moves, Ellie."

Dave crashed into the wall next to Frank. "That little bitch!"

"Hey!" Frank kicked out and caught Dave in the groin. "Don't say stuff like that about Ellie."

Dave's eyes rolled up into his head, and he stumbled back across the van.

Chase aimed a kick at the man's kneecap when he got close enough, and it connected with a satisfying crack.

"Son of a…!" Dave squeaked and dropped to floor.

"You can't talk like that about Ellie!" Frank yelled at him, face flushed.

Frank was rallying, and that Chase could work with. "Come on, Frank. We can do this."

Frank looked up at him, and his anger faltered as their eyes met. Chase felt a twinge in his chest, one that had nothing to do with getting shot. Frank did care what he thought.

"Ellie needs our help to get us loose. I'm sorry about what I said before, I really am. It doesn't matter what your parents choose to do for you; right now I need your help. I know you can do this."

The van rocked again. The wail of sirens was overlapping. Multiple vehicles; Ellie's backup had arrived.

The stack of gold crashed over. The two chairs bounced and tossed them about, and the railing that held Frank popped the rusted rivets at one end and came loose from the wall.

"Dave," Jack called. "What's going on back there?"

Dave grunted and pushed himself to his feet, favouring the leg Chase had kicked. "These cops are a liability; I'm cutting them loose…"

"Don't shoot them! Not with their guys so close."

Dave grinned wickedly. "I won't. But I bet they'll stop if we toss them out the back."

Chase tugged on his own railing, but it was still bolted fast to the wall.

Dave glanced between them, and seeing Frank was the closet to getting loose, moved on him.

"Frank," Chase shouted, "move your chair, slide your hands off of the… Hey, shorty!"

Dave whirled back around. "Alright, that is the last straw! They'll stop for you if your guts are all over the road just the same." He pulled out his knife again.

Chase kicked out, but Dave was expecting it, and simply stepped to the side. He brought up the knife to Chase's belly.

Frank lurched across the van, and crashed into Dave. He was loose, but his hands were still cuffed together. They both crashed into the stack of gold at the back of the van.

The van rattled, and then slewed hard sideways as Ellie smashed into them again. They spun around a complete 180 degrees and screeched to a halt.

Sirens wailed outside. "This is the police. Come out with your hands up!"

Chase's shoulders sagged. "Frank, we're okay. Ellie did it."

There was movement at the back of the van, but it was Dave who hauled himself to his feet. "We should've put you both down to start with," he grumbled. He still held the knife, but the blade was glistening, and it was not the glint of metal on the blade.

Frank was slumped up against the back wall, curled up on himself.

Chase's guts tightened. "Frank?"

Ellie stepped into the back of the van. "Alright, hands up, sweetheart. You're under arrest."

"I don't think so. Sweetheart." Dave lunged for her, knife extended.

Ellie swiped Dave's arm aside, letting his own momentum carry him past her. Then she twisted his arm, forcing him down, and brought her knee down on his arm. He dropped the knife, and his elbow let out an audible crack.

"I think you… broke my arm…" Dave squeaked.

"Sorry, but you're probably a lot stronger than me," Ellie said, as she slapped a pair of handcuffs on him. "Got to make sure when you go down, you stay down."

"Ellie," said Chase. His mouth was dry.

"Hang on, Chase, I'll get you loose." Ellie started to undo his handcuffs. "Where's Frank?"

"He's…" Chase felt a cuff come loose. "Frank…" He pushed past Ellie.

"What the heck is going on in there? If you called out half the damn force just because these two idiots…" The Chief's voice, loud and agitated, carried all the way to them from outside the van.

"Chief, call an ambulance," Ellie shouted out at him.

Chase dropped down next to Frank, and squeezed his shoulder. "Frank? Come on, talk to me."

Frank moaned. "Chase, are you okay?"

Chase's shoulders slumped. "Hey buddy, you scared the heck out of me."

"As long as you're… okay…" Frank slumped back down, a hand clamped to his stomach. Red seeped from between his fingers.

Chase swallowed. No. Frank didn't deserve this. "I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"He was going to… stab you… I couldn't let him…"

"Okay. Don't move your hand." Chase pressed Frank's hand back on the wound, and pressed down hard.

"Did I do okay?"

Chase blinked back the blur from his eyes. "You did fine."

Ellie knelt beside them, and ran a hand through Frank's hair. "Just hang in there, sugar. Ambulance is coming. It's going to stop hurting soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n:** So I had this sitting on my computer for ages and hadn't posted it. Whoops. Sorry about that guys. Final chapter. Enjoy, and please review!

* * *

Chase watched the ambulance drive away with its sirens wailing. Natalia had been one of the paramedics on duty. That should have made him feel better, having her there. But she'd been in full-blown rescue mode, and had told him more than firmly he should back off and let her work, and then that the ambulance could only take one extra person. It was Ellie who Frank had clung to the hardest, though he hadn't been with it enough to say, it was obvious who he wanted to go with him.

Chase understood Natalia's reaction. He'd been to enough accidents to know the paramedics didn't need some idiot getting in their way. But another part of him had so desperately wanted to be there for Frank, Natalia's abrupt dismissal had hurt.

He was left standing in the middle of the street, the bustle of cops and sirens and police vehicles milling around him. They had the scene under control. He hadn't been able to help Frank. And it didn't matter whether he helped here or not. Chase felt completely useless.

The Chief stepped up beside him. "Um, so… you don't need to be here. I can get one of the officers to drive you down to the hospital. You look like crap; you'd better get someone to look at you."

Chase rubbed his arms, even though it wasn't cold. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Neither did I."

"So you still want me to get Frank out of the police department?" Chase asked, a growl creeping into his voice. The anger seemed to loosen the knot in his stomach. "Because if Frank hadn't been there, you'd be dealing with a dead cop instead."

"Huh?"

"Frank saved my life. Twice. He stopped them shooting me. And I was the one who was going to get stabbed, but he got in the way and…" Chase's voice cracked. "And I told him he was a horrible cop. I am a total jerk."

"Steady, McCain. You're alright." The Chief patted Chase's shoulder. "Do you know how many times Honey has gotten himself injured trying to fix office equipment?"

"This is different," Chase said, once he trusted himself to speak again.

"Yeah. My point is he's tougher than he looks. But I probably… I probably shouldn't have put either of you in that position. Come on. I'll drive you down to the hospital myself."

* * *

Two hours later, Chase sat in the hospital waiting room. He kept tugging at his shirt, rearranging it so the bruises on his chest didn't hurt so much. It didn't make much difference, but it was something to do.

Natalia walked in, still in her paramedic gear. "Chase, I just got off duty. Have you heard anything about Frank?"

Chase stood to his feet. "No. Not yet."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before. I had to concentrate on Frank, and you were getting in the way."

Chase shrugged and forced a smile. "You were just doing your job. I understand."

"Yeah. But I still feel bad. Come here." Natalia reached out and drew Chase into her arms.

Chase squeezed her back hard, and sagged against her shoulder. Not until she'd grabbed him did he realise he'd needed the hug.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Listen, don't feel bad."

"Natalia, you were… I couldn't have done anything for Frank. I have no idea how to deal with…" Chase swallowed. "Any of that stuff. You were awesome, yelling at me and all. So, thanks for being there."

Natalia rubbed at the back of her neck. "I was just doing my job, Chase."

"Yeah. It's still awesome. I just hope Frank will be okay. He wouldn't have got hurt if it wasn't for me." The doors at the end of the hall swung open. Chase looked up, then realised who had just come through them. "Ellie…"

Ellie's clothing was ruffled and her eyes a little red. But when she saw Chase and Natalia, she forced a smile.

"How's Frank?" Chase asked.

Ellie sighed. "I think he's going to be okay. He's completely out of it right now. And his parents came, so I figured I should leave them alone with him."

Chase's shoulders sagged. "I'm glad he's… he still got hurt. That shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry, Ellie. You told me to be patient with him and I just… messed everything up."

"Oh, Chase," Natalia rubbed his back.

"Sweetheart," said Ellie. "It was not your fault. No one but that robber that stabbed him. You just come in tomorrow and talk to Frank. I'm sure he'll be awake by then, and he's not going to blame you."

Frank wouldn't blame him, no. He'd think it was because he was a lousy cop, and Chase wasn't sure what he would say to make it up to him.

* * *

It had taken Frank a little while to remember where he was, and why. His parents had stayed for a little while that morning, once he woke up. Frank knew he needed to talk to them, but he hadn't had the energy. He'd pretended to fall back asleep. They'd kept fussing about 'does this sort of thing usually happen', and he didn't have the energy to deal with it. Now, he was alone again. The nurses didn't seem to like it if you rang the buzzer just to chat with them.

There was a tap at the door to Frank's hospital room. Chase stuck his head in, peeking around it like he was afraid there was something in there that was going to bite him. "Oh, um, is anyone else in here, or, you know, I can come back later…"

"Oh, hi Chase." Frank smoothed out his blankets, avoiding Chase's gaze. "You can come in."

Chase sat down, fiddled around with the hard backed chair to get himself comfortable, then cleared his throat. "Um, so, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

Chase wouldn't even look at him. "Look, Frank, I don't know where to start."

"Chase, I'm sorry. And I do plan to talk to my parents, I promise. I just, I was really tired and…"

"Wait, slow down, talk to them about what?"

"Getting them to stop making sure I stay on the force."

"Frank, you don't…"

"I don't want them to be the reason I'm here anymore. I want to be here cause I'm good at my job, otherwise I'll just put you and everyone else in danger. Like I already did. And even if that means I lose my job…" Frank swallowed hard. "I really like my job," he finished quietly.

Chase was silent for a moment. "I wouldn't worry too much, if that's the case. You did well enough yesterday to keep it all by yourself, and if the Chief disagrees with me, I'll make sure to set him straight."

Frank blinked up at him. "Huh?"

"Frank, you didn't screw up yesterday. You saved my life, twice. I wouldn't be here without you. You tricked those robbers into not shooting me, and then you defended my when I couldn't. Even though it put you in the hospital. And," Chase shrugged, and forced a smile, his eyes watery. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me. It's the last thing I want to happen, whether you annoy me or not."

Frank stared at him. "Aw, Chase, don't cry. I'm not mad at you."

"I'm not…" Chase grumbled and blinked. Then he reached out and squeezed Frank's arm. "You did really good. And, if you get a bit more training you're going to be a pretty good cop. Just, you know, try and listen to me and everyone else, and you'll get there. Good enough you won't have to worry about what your parents try and do for you."

"So… can you train me?"

"Huh?"

"Can I work with you? If it's okay with the Chief. I still think you're the best cop."

"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, if you're not too worried I'll get you stabbed again."

Frank grinned, then threw his arms around Chase's neck. "Thanks… ow…"

Chase grunted. "I can tell. You okay?"

Frank eased himself back down into his bed, wincing. "I think maybe I shouldn't have done that." He'd run around the room with joy if he could, but right now that was completely out of the question. "I'm still going to talk to my parents though," Frank said, fiddling with his blanket. "They'll probably be funny about it but I'm tired of them interfering."

"You'll be fine." Chase paused for a moment, then squeezed Frank's arm again. "Whatever they say, I'm proud of you anyway."

Chase was proud of him! Frank grinned.


End file.
